Solar installer salary: what solar photovoltaic installers actually make
BLS employer-survey wages for 31,350 solar photovoltaic installers nationwide, plus the union scale contractors must pay on federal jobs.
What solar photovoltaic installers earn: the full range
The middle half of solar photovoltaic installers earn between $22.45 and $30.23 an hour. The top 10% earn more than $38.45 ($79,970 a year); the bottom 10% earn less than $20.00.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry | $20.00 – $22.45 | $41,600 – $46,700 | roughly the 10th–25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $22.45 – $30.23 | $46,700 – $62,870 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master / foreman / specialist | $30.23 – $38.45 | $62,870 – $79,970 | the 75th–90th percentile and above |
Career-stage bands are an approximate reading of the wage distribution, not a BLS classification. Union journeyman scale by county is in the prevailing-wage section below.
Solar installer pay by state
Table
| State | Median $/hr | vs US |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $37.96 | 49% above |
| Hawaii | $33.83 | 32% above |
| Nevada | $32.60 | 28% above |
| Oregon | $31.88 | 25% above |
| Ohio | $30.00 | 17% above |
| Washington | $29.63 | 16% above |
| Maine | $29.43 | 15% above |
| California | $29.14 | 14% above |
| Illinois | $28.67 | 12% above |
| Massachusetts | $28.45 | 11% above |
| Iowa | $27.28 | 7% above |
| New York | $27.00 | 6% above |
| Connecticut | $26.73 | 5% above |
| Arizona | $24.60 | 4% below |
| Florida | $24.30 | 5% below |
| South Carolina | $24.27 | 5% below |
| Kansas | $24.04 | 6% below |
| Utah | $24.03 | 6% below |
| Wisconsin | $23.93 | 6% below |
| Colorado | $23.91 | 6% below |
| Vermont | $23.79 | 7% below |
| Virginia | $23.65 | 7% below |
| New Mexico | $23.31 | 9% below |
| Texas | $23.19 | 9% below |
| Georgia | $22.98 | 10% below |
| Pennsylvania | $22.96 | 10% below |
| Michigan | $22.63 | 11% below |
| Indiana | $22.18 | 13% below |
| Maryland | $21.84 | 15% below |
| Arkansas | $21.55 | 16% below |
| North Carolina | $21.09 | 17% below |
| South Dakota | $20.37 | 20% below |
| State | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | Adjusted rank | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $37.96 | $34.89 | #1 | 1,880 |
| Hawaii | $33.83 | $30.75 | #6 | 420 |
| Nevada | $32.60 | $32.60 | #2 | 100 |
| Oregon | $31.88 | $30.83 | #5 | 360 |
| Ohio | $30.00 | $32.33 | #3 | 70 |
| Washington | $29.63 | $27.69 | #9 | — |
| Maine | $29.43 | $30.34 | #7 | 60 |
| California | $29.14 | $26.32 | #12 | 6,830 |
| Illinois | $28.67 | $28.67 | #8 | — |
| Massachusetts | $28.45 | $26.89 | #10 | 620 |
| Iowa | $27.28 | $31.07 | #4 | 180 |
| New York | $27.00 | $25.02 | #17 | 1,230 |
| Connecticut | $26.73 | $25.80 | #14 | — |
| Arizona | $24.60 | $24.43 | #19 | 1,280 |
| Florida | $24.30 | $23.50 | #27 | 2,980 |
| South Carolina | $24.27 | $25.90 | #13 | — |
| Kansas | $24.04 | $26.68 | #11 | — |
| Utah | $24.03 | $24.30 | #20 | 770 |
| Wisconsin | $23.93 | $25.43 | #15 | 90 |
| Colorado | $23.91 | $23.19 | #29 | 620 |
| Vermont | $23.79 | $24.28 | #21 | 250 |
| Virginia | $23.65 | $23.39 | #28 | — |
| New Mexico | $23.31 | $25.28 | #16 | 340 |
| Texas | $23.19 | $23.88 | #22 | 5,270 |
| Georgia | $22.98 | $23.86 | #23 | — |
| Pennsylvania | $22.96 | $23.52 | #25 | 1,210 |
| Michigan | $22.63 | $23.52 | #26 | 310 |
| Indiana | $22.18 | $23.77 | #24 | 490 |
| Maryland | $21.84 | $20.80 | #32 | 670 |
| Arkansas | $21.55 | $24.80 | #18 | — |
| North Carolina | $21.09 | $22.36 | #31 | 710 |
| South Dakota | $20.37 | $22.99 | #30 | 50 |
Solar installer wages over time
Table
| Year | Nominal $/hr | In 2025 $ | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | $18.22 | $25.55 | 4,710 |
| 2013 | $19.04 | $26.31 | 4,130 |
| 2014 | $19.24 | $26.16 | 5,170 |
| 2015 | $18.19 | $24.71 | 6,870 |
| 2016 | $18.87 | $25.31 | 8,870 |
| 2017 | $18.98 | $24.93 | 9,000 |
| 2018 | $20.52 | $26.31 | 8,950 |
| 2019 | $21.58 | $27.18 | 11,080 |
| 2020 | $22.34 | $27.79 | 11,490 |
| 2021 | $22.92 | $27.23 | 16,420 |
| 2022 | $21.75 | $23.93 | 27,760 |
| 2023 | $23.46 | $24.79 | 24,510 |
| 2024 | $24.93 | $25.59 | 28,280 |
| 2025 | $25.55 | $25.55 | 31,350 |
Adjusted for inflation, the median solar installer wage changed by +3.4% over the last ten years.
Highest-paying metros for solar installers
| Metro | Median $/hr | 90th pct | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $34.69 | $46.68 | 710 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $33.72 | $49.06 | 2,190 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $29.49 | $38.77 | 550 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $28.87 | $37.23 | 790 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $28.81 | $38.72 | 700 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $28.65 | $41.03 | 1,930 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $28.05 | $42.60 | 580 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $24.61 | $37.88 | 1,000 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $24.32 | $35.43 | 830 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $23.25 | $30.23 | 1,570 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $23.22 | $30.20 | 510 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $22.63 | $35.58 | 1,620 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $12.91 | $14.09 | 1,700 |
Union scale and prevailing wage for solar installers
Federal construction projects must pay the Davis-Bacon rate for each county. Where the rate comes from a union contract it is the local journeyman scale: base wage plus fringe (health, pension, training). Where it comes from a survey, it is often older and lower. This table summarises the Building-construction determination for solar installers in every state.
| State | Counties with a union rate | Typical union package (base + fringe, $/hr) | Typical survey rate | Counties with a rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 100% | $103.81 | — | 18/21 |
| Hawaii | 100% | $89.71 | — | 5/5 |
| Washington | 97% | $87.78 | $84.62 | 39/39 |
| Alaska | 100% | $85.77 | — | 30/30 |
| Connecticut | 100% | $84.53 | — | 8/17 |
| Massachusetts | 100% | $84.36 | — | 14/14 |
| Illinois | 100% | $83.99 | — | 102/102 |
| Delaware | 100% | $83.43 | — | 3/3 |
| Pennsylvania | 94% | $82.64 | $45.08 | 62/67 |
| District of Columbia | 100% | $82.56 | — | 1/1 |
| Missouri | 98% | $81.86 | $31.86 | 115/115 |
| Rhode Island | 100% | $80.85 | — | 5/5 |
| California | 91% | $80.15 | $23.46 | 58/58 |
| Oregon | 56% | $79.51 | $60.45 | 36/36 |
| New York | 92% | $76.39 | $60.66 | 62/62 |
| Wisconsin | 100% | $70.47 | — | 72/72 |
| Ohio | 84% | $69.93 | $45.51 | 88/88 |
| Indiana | 97% | $68.36 | $10.58 | 91/92 |
| West Virginia | 65% | $66.44 | $43.27 | 55/55 |
| Iowa | 17% | $66.39 | $32.80 | 99/99 |
| Kansas | 22% | $64.30 | $38.59 | 105/105 |
| Kentucky | 78% | $63.40 | $42.47 | 120/120 |
| Michigan | 85% | $63.35 | $28.15 | 73/83 |
| Maine | 31% | $59.88 | $34.57 | 16/16 |
| Colorado | 98% | $59.17 | $35.14 | 64/64 |
| New Hampshire | 70% | $59.04 | $34.70 | 10/10 |
| Montana | 93% | $58.91 | $36.03 | 55/56 |
| Utah | 97% | $58.89 | $34.87 | 29/29 |
| Idaho | 95% | $58.74 | $27.83 | 44/44 |
| North Dakota | 79% | $57.59 | $34.00 | 53/53 |
| Virginia | 71% | $55.97 | $31.09 | 102/133 |
| Oklahoma | 91% | $54.54 | $27.78 | 77/77 |
| Nebraska | 100% | $53.88 | — | 93/93 |
| New Mexico | 88% | $53.71 | $33.42 | 33/33 |
| South Dakota | 73% | $53.15 | $32.33 | 66/66 |
| Arizona | 93% | $51.34 | $37.35 | 15/15 |
| Georgia | 77% | $49.20 | $27.04 | 159/159 |
| Florida | 60% | $47.70 | $19.96 | 67/67 |
| Tennessee | 40% | $47.70 | $33.77 | 95/95 |
| Texas | 19% | $47.19 | $22.93 | 251/254 |
| South Carolina | 67% | $46.79 | $15.86 | 46/46 |
| North Carolina | 32% | $45.41 | $18.57 | 100/100 |
| Louisiana | 83% | $43.91 | $30.93 | 64/64 |
| Arkansas | 45% | $43.89 | $26.95 | 75/75 |
| Mississippi | 70% | $42.94 | $26.13 | 82/82 |
| Vermont | 29% | $42.85 | $27.51 | 14/14 |
| Alabama | 36% | $41.24 | $23.78 | 67/67 |
| Maryland | 0% | — | $69.45 | 24/24 |
| Minnesota | 0% | — | $76.74 | 87/87 |
| Nevada | 0% | — | $78.49 | 17/17 |
| Wyoming | 0% | — | $49.43 | 23/23 |
Source: SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions, Building construction type. Not the official determination; see each state page for county detail and links to the official text.
Job outlook
The BLS Employment Projections program expects solar photovoltaic installers employment to change by +36.5% over 2025-35, with about 4,200 openings a year from growth and people leaving the occupation. Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Compare solar installer pay with other trades
See how solar installer pay compares with other trades on the ranking of all trades and the comparison pages.
Questions this page answers
How much do solar photovoltaic installers make?
The median solar installer earned $25.55 an hour, or $53,140 a year, in May 2025 according to the BLS employer survey of 31,350 jobs. Half earn more and half earn less; the middle 50% earn between $22.45 and $30.23 an hour.
How much do solar installers make an hour?
Hourly pay runs from about $20.00 at the 10th percentile to $38.45 at the 90th, with a median of $25.55. Overtime, per-diem and union fringe benefits are not included in these figures.
What does a starting or apprentice solar installer make?
Entry-level pay sits near the bottom of the distribution: roughly $20.00 to $22.45 an hour ($41,600 to $46,700 a year). Registered apprentices usually start at a fixed percentage of the local journeyman rate and step up every six to twelve months.
Which state pays solar installers the most?
New Jersey had the highest median at $37.96 an hour in May 2025, followed by Hawaii ($33.83) and Nevada ($32.60). Adjusted for cost of living the order changes; see the state table.
Are solar installer wages going up?
In today's dollars the median solar installer wage changed by +3.4% over the last ten years of data (CPI-adjusted). The nominal median rose from $18.19 to $25.55.
Is solar installer a good career?
By the numbers: median pay of $53,140 a year, a 90th percentile of $79,970, projected growth of +36.5% and about 4,200 openings a year. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself; this site only reports the pay and demand data.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 47-2231 (Solar photovoltaic installers). Wages exclude overtime and benefits.
- Inflation adjustment: BLS CPI-U annual averages, 2025 base.
- Cost-of-living adjustment: BEA Regional Price Parities, all items, latest year.
- Prevailing wage: SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national. Public-domain data; Skilled Wages is not affiliated with BLS.